


Dragonqueen

by RaccoonMama



Series: The Eleventh Pass [1]
Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future, Gen, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-01
Updated: 2014-06-01
Packaged: 2018-01-27 21:12:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1722704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaccoonMama/pseuds/RaccoonMama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On a Pern where AIVAS's discovery did not herald the final end of threadfall, the eleventh pass is drawing near. At High Reaches Weyr, the atmosphere is tense, and the indiscretions of the current weyrleader have brought some unexpected changes to the balance in the weyr. As the red star draws nearer, things on the distant planet must change if they are to survive at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dragonqueen

_The blackest night must end in dawn,_  
 _The sun dispel the dreamer’s fear._  
 _When shall my soul’s bleak, hopeless pain_  
 _Find solace in its darkening weyr?_

_**\- Sunset's Gold** _

* * *

“Let me through. I want to see them.”

There were few who would deny Inalis, High Reaches’ senior weyrwoman, when she was in a particular sort of mood. With the plaintive wails of two infants echoing through the lower caverns, that number dwindled to nothing. Even her weyrmate stood respectfully aside, and she gave him a scathing glare as she passed him. She could scarcely punish him without punishing his dragon, but she could certainly let him know that she still was displeased with this infraction.

The headwoman’s three older sons - M’rin, M’ran, and R’man - all sat outside the birthing room with worried faces. Her husband must’ve stayed inside with her. He was a good man, that Aran… lesser men would have discarded their wife for bearing someone else’s child, but knowing the circumstances, he had refused to abandon Amoria in her time of need.

Still, something about this whole situation rankled her. There had, of course, been similar situations in the weyr before. It wasn’t as though anyone denied the attentions of a dragon man when a gold or green was in season - the feeling was infectious - but this was an unusual situation overall. T’vek, who was as fine a weyrleader going toward this eleventh pass of the red star as any could’ve hoped for, was at best somewhat too amorous for his own good… and at worst, according to some women in the lower caverns, a bully who used his station to get what he wanted.

Which was, of course, what made this situation so unique and troublesome. When K'ban’s green Delth had risen to mate, she had been out of the weyr herself, meeting with the other queen riders at Benden Weyr, some distance from High Reaches. She could have curbed her weyrmate’s more lusty tendencies, or at least she wished that could have been possible, though there were many who mentioned how he had desired the attention of the gentle, pretty headwoman of the lower caverns.

“...they’re twins, weyrwoman. Girls.” That came from R’man, a young brownrider and the youngest of Amoria’s boys. They had their father’s dark eyes, not fair like Amoria’s, but that same mess of shaggy dark hair that characterized all three. His voice quieted. “And… they’ve the weyrleader’s hair, and eyes like him and Mother.”

M’ran and M’rin, the eldest boys and also twins who rode a blue and a green respectively, looked anxiously at one another. They certainly had no objection to a new little sister or two, but they were keenly aware of the weyroman’s ire with how the situation had come to be in the first place… and of how infuriated she was with T’vek. They, too, stood aside when Inalis finally stepped past, head high, though her gaze softened clearly when she saw Amoria’s stricken expression. She was lying quietly in the bed, the sheets having already been swapped out for clean, a quieted babe in each arm.

Still, though, the tears were streaming down her cheeks. Inalis’s expression softened immediately as she drew up a stool. “...what lovely girls.”

“They’ve their father’s hair.” Amoria didn’t look up at the weyrwoman, looking to first one and then the other infant girl. “I can hardly blame these two precious creatures for his impropriety, but-”

Slowly, Inalis shook her head. “No. I think I understand, my dear headwoman.” She reached forward, patting Amoria’s nearest hand with no small affection. “If there is anything I can do to assist, you need only ask.” Her lips pressed into a tight line. “I have every intention of making certain this never happens again.”

The other woman was silent for a moment, glancing at Aran. The poor herdsman looked enamored with the girls, whether or not he had sired them, and Inalis couldn’t help but think this a good sign. He cleared his throat, then glanced up at her, trying to look as settled as he could under the circumstances. “Weyrwoman… my thanks. For everything you’ve already done. I’ve every intention to raise the twins as my own. The boys will see her as nothing less than their sisters, and I my daughters.”

“That is a noble choice, journeyman,” Inalis stated softly, her words barely a murmur. “Amoria… have you ideas for names…?”

For a long moment, the woman was silent, looking at first one red haired girl and then the other. Finally, after some time of contemplation, she nodded very slowly. “Amara,” she began, “for myself and for Aran. And Amina… for myself and for you, weyrwoman, as you have been so kind through all this.”

That startled Inalis at first, but she schooled her expression carefully into one of approval. They were very nice names. “Fine names for two fine girls. We’ll see this done to rights, Amoria. Just you wait.” And her gaze turned to the two small girls. She herself was childless, unable to bear due to a childhood illness, and sometimes she wondered if T’vek’s aggression resulted from her inability to come with child. Still… to put a woman through this when a surrogate could’ve been found! “Just you wait.”

* * *

Six turns passed, and the twin girls grew all too quickly from wailing infants to impish and mischievous youngsters. Though the rest of the weyr tried to curb T’vek as much as possible, his great bronze Noblith continued to fly the golden Eldrith every single time she flew. As a result, the weyrfolk simply put their best efforts to ensuring T’vek had no hand in their upbringing. They were brought up in the traditional way of the rest of the weyrlings, fostered and loved, nurtured and taught by any number of mothers and fathers.

It had gotten so that whenever mischief was about, Amoria would titter and brush off any misgivings. After all, the weyr had made them so… not she.

M’ran, M’rin, and R’man were the finest brothers the twins could hope for, though - in solidarity of understanding a sibling who also had something of a body double - they were closest to M’ran and M’rin. Their little sisters, in fact, were the subject of their talk that day as they strode across the weyr bowl, their dragons amicably “gossiping” as they sunned themselves near the lake.

“Candidate master thinks they’ll stand the grounds, once they’re of age,” M’rin was saying, not looking over as his brother cast him a startled look. Despite not seeing the expression first hand, he shrugged, as if sensing it. “Don’t look so surprised. We both impressed, very same day, and there’s R’man too. And aside from three dragon men coming from one headwoman, the twins’ve also got that… added other benefit.”

M’ran immediately wrinkled his nose as he looked away from his brother. “That would be one small relief. T’vek’s been trying to convince everyone they won’t have that sort of pull… or that even if they DID stand for impression, only one of them would impress, if either one did.”

Grumbling, M’rin rolled his eyes. “Crackdust. We both stood for impression, and we both impressed. Idith and Oneth broke shell at almost the exact same time, in fact! So to say that they couldn’t impress…”

His brother shook his head, looking a bit irritable. “You know as well as I do, M’rin, how T’vek is about girls standing on the sands. Unless there’s a queen egg, the girls won’t have a chance. And even then only one of them will.” He paused then, running a hand through his thick dark hair. “He’s really got this all set up for himself. So what do we do?”

M’rin gave a shrug. “I don’t know. But in the meantime, we do what we’re best at. Be the **absolute best** big brothers we possibly can be, given the circumstances!” He paused, then, hearing something nearby. Oneth, his blue, had lifted his head and was glancing in their direction, watching Idith as she peered at her tail with unusual interest. He grinned, leaning in close to M’ran. “I think we’re being followed.”

His brother gave a little snort and a grin. “No. Who would dare follow a couple of lowly wingmen? Surely you’re seeing something, M’rin!”

“I should say not, M’ran!” And he was already heading for Idith. As they drew closer, they could just see two masses of thick red curls peeking up over the dragon’s tail. “After all, we’ve two fine, brave little sisters who aren’t afraid of dragons like those holder girls sent to apprentice in the caverns with Mother.”

Giggles and hurried shushing came from behind Idith’s tail now, and M’ran caught his brother’s glee at the little game. “Nonsense. Amina and Amara aren’t nearly brave enough to be out hiding around big scary dragons.”

Oneth and Idith made such offended faces at the two riders, as offended as dragons could, but neither of the brothers payed them any heed. The two girls tried to creep lower as M’rin spoke up. “Even if they were out here, my dear brother, they would surely evade us. After all, there’s no one in all of High Reaches Weyr as clever as Amina and Amara. We’ll surely never find them.”

M’ran made a noise far too thoughtful, one an older child might’ve caught on to. The two tiny girls, however, were not deterred, and even dared a peek over the green dragon’s tail, two pairs of bright blue eyes just visible over the green. “And missing on their birthing day at that! I suppose we’ll just have to eat every last one of the sweet spiced cakes Mother made for them…”

Though two tiny gasps were heard nearby, M’rin continued where his brother left off. “You know, you’re right! The bubbly pies, too! Though we can’t eat all of them ourselves.” His sigh was deep, long, and very exaggerated. “I suppose we’ll have to share them with R’man…”

His commentary was cut off when the two small girls tumbled over Idith’s tail, immediately rushing over to their brothers with cries of “You wouldn’t!” and “Don’t you dare!” and “You great big wherries!”

The older pair grinned, each scooping up a squealing girl. M’rin flipped Amina upside down, holding her waist, grinning when the girl gave a happy shriek and squirmed, her long red curls hanging down below her as she tried to peer up at her brother. M’ran was gentler with the quieter Amara, swinging her up to sit astride his shoulders, her little hands clenching in his thick dark hair. He glanced at his brother, grinning as Amina squirmed and wiggled and kicked.

“You’ll have to help me with this flit, M’ran!” he was saying, barely able to speak past his laughter. “She’s like a wild tunnel snake!”

M’ran snorted, grinning. “That’s your handful, M’ran. You’re the one getting her all wound up. I’m not to blame if she kicks you in the face.”

The two continued talking amiably, each carrying one of the younger pair of twins, unaware that they were being watched from above. Inalis, arms crossed tightly across her chest, was leaning against the golden bulk of Eldrith, Amoria standing near her.

“I just don’t know what to do with them, Inalis,” Amoria began, wringing her hands together and slowly shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “It isn’t as though T’vek has any active interest in them, but since H’len is wanting to start letting them help with the weyrlings…”

Inalis nodded slowly, her lips drawing tight as the corners dipped down, creating faint creases on her cheeks. “I should’ve known T’vek would be a problem. Ambitious, he is… too set in the old ways.” She cast a rueful smile to Amoria, who was gazing intently at the floor. “I feel awful that this has caused you so much grief, Amoria. Amina and Amara are fine, smart, charming young girls… they will make fine dragon women when they’re of age to step onto the sands.”

Amoria’s expression softened, but only slightly. “I have no doubt that they’ll manage. After all, their brothers are all capable dragon men. I just… worry that T’vek will try to get in their way.”

Eyes narrowing, Inalis let a sigh out through her nose. “Yes… he would try something like that. It’s almost unfortunate Eldrith is so fond of Noblith.” She stood straight and let her arms fall, one hand coming up to give the gold dragon’s shoulder an affectionate rub. “Even worse, despite being an arrogant chunk of firestone, he’s a skilled tactician, and with us scarcely twenty turns from threadfall…”

This time, the headwoman snorted, her nose wrinkling. “I’m surprised T’vek even believes, dragonrider or no.”

“It’s his nature. He’s no fool, at least when it comes to the dangers of thread.” Inalis gave a very quiet sigh, rubbing her hands over her face after a moment. “No, that’s the only way to solve this. I’ve no doubt that they’ll both impress, even if they impress different colors. Just like M’ran and M’rin did. They’re strong girls with no fear of dragons, and you know how it is. Weyrbred children generally tend to stand, even if they don’t impress.”

Amoria shook her head a little, pacing briefly with her hands tightly clenched together. “But what happens if they don’t impress, Inalis? What then?”

For a moment, the weyrwoman hesitated, turning to head toward the steps and motioning for the headwoman to follow her. “We’ll have to wait and see. For now, we should get to the caverns, or you’re going to have two very sad childen on their birthing day.”

The headwoman hesitated, then sighed softly as she headed to the stairs after her weyrwoman. Her words did not serve to soothe her nerves; there was far too much to consider with everything that was happening around them. She furrowed her brow, smoothing back her thick dark hair as they stepped down into the lower caverns, where many of the riders and weyrfolk were already making over the two small girls.

A smile spread across her face, slowly, and she released a heavy sigh. All of the other things happening around them could wait, at least for now. Today, she had her daughters to focus on, and she couldn’t disappoint them.


End file.
